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Content marketing: Overview But it doesn’t mean that those who and types of businesses, and a B2B press coverage on this doctor’s story. Sharing content marketing learnings are marketing to B2B customers are strategy may have a vastly different There’s a huge I think that this was a great example of necessarily getting the message. angle to a B2C one. The overall goal of content marketing – we had a positive Prominent insurance brand BrightRock shares learnings from its key Quoting a global report by the content marketing is generally to get opportunity for story to tell and it came across in the content marketing initiatives. Chief Marketing Offcer (CMO) more brand exposure, but a B2B brand those who get video and at the event. It illustrates that 1. The content marketing strategy needs to be integrated with (and extend) Council, South African B2B marketing may want to create trust and credibility content right even an event is a content type and the broader marketing strategy in a manner that brings the brand to life in expert and author, Charlie Stewart through its content – such as posting an it doesn’t necessarily involve a piece new and unexpected ways of Internet marketing consultancy article on how to optimise the sales on of written content,” explains Marleze 2. Know upfront why you are doing it. Be clear as to how you’ll know when 2Stroke Interactive, says that of the an e-commerce store,” he explains. niemandt, who is part of Discovery’s you’re successful – and measure, measure, measure. 400 purchasing managers who were Back at Discovery, one of the stories and the initiative will see Gogela spend corporate marketing team. 3. Having a clear and well-articulated vision and structure for your online interviewed for the study, just 9% said the brand has been telling is that of two years at MGh, where the UCT content space is essential. they trusted the content they receive Dr neliswa Gogela, who received a physician will hone her skills. Additional reporting by Mike Simpson 4. It is important to have original content. from their vendors. “To put that another r2-million grant from the Discovery When telling Gogela’s story at a 5. An authentic voice is also important. We’ve worked hard to fnd a unique way, 91% of the buying decision foundation. The grant enables Gogela recent health Media Summit, Discovery tone and angle as to how we identify and craft our stories. We aim to get to makers believed that the vendors to study liver transplants at the famed got an enthusiastic response from the mandy de Waal IS A the heart of an issue, or idea, with sensitivity and brutal honesty. were bull****** them by packaging Massachusetts General hospital universities, doctors and media present. fOrMer BrOADCAST 6. Diversity and variety of topics and points-of-view are critical. one-dimensional, blatantly promotional (MGh) in Boston. South Africa is “We had wonderful engagement from JOUrnAlIST WhO hAS Been pUBlISheD In The 7. Headlines are everything! And great intro lines are the doorway into and unsubstantiated information,” currently experiencing a shortage of universities and other doctors who Guardian (UK), daily Maverick AnD Finweek, any story. says Stewart. hepatologists (experts in liver disease) attended the event, as well as good AMOnG OTherS. 8. Let the content drive the navigation and user experience. The content “So, if you’re about to invest in should be the hero, not your clever design or super navigational structure. content marketing, you’d be well 9. Don’t be scared to reinvent your content space often and quickly, once you advised to take a tactical time out and August–September strategicmarketing 11 start learning what your users want. swot up,” he writes. “not surprisingly, Courtesy of Suzanne Stevens, executive director of marketing. the CMO Council found buyers valued reports from industry groups, customer case studies, analyst reports however that’s just ‘churnalism’ created understand your demographic and product reviews – in that order. under the guise of marketing. It is not founder of Johannesburg-based Fortunately, that’s quite a wide feld, substantial, nor is it desirable. The word social analytics frm Fuseware, Michal so there ought to be plenty for most ‘content’ essentially means ‘satisfed’. Wronski, states that understanding one’s B2B marketers to unearth in their This should guide marketers in their demographic is crucial to a successful own organisations.” thinking and the understanding that, when content marketing strategy. “A brand Stewart continues: “There’s a huge it comes to content marketing, creating needs to understand what their audience opportunity for those who get their value is what it is all about,” Duarte notes. wants to read, watch and listen to online content right. nearly 60% of buyers “The world is in the age of the attention – and create compelling content that surveyed said they forwarded quality economy, a place where the Internet has resonates with them. Secondly, content content to 25 or more people, and 28% democratised marketing. As a result, marketing should be seen as a long-term said they sent the information on to 100 content marketing has become incredibly strategy for brand building, not a direct- or more. So, if you want your content to competitive because so many brands are response mechanism for sales. Keep be seen, worry about the message.” now using this tool. This, combined with the brand visible within the content, A legendary example of the viral the masses of information created on but don’t make it about the brand or its power of B2B content marketing is social and other networks, means that products – sales pitches can destroy Volvo’s Jean-Claude Van Damme while it was once easier for brands to the credibility of even the best content,” campaign which used the ‘epic get noticed, in the earned content space he advises. split’ between two moving trucks brands need The business-to-business (B2B) to demonstrate the stability of the to work really hard and be incredibly sector is one that has embraced motoring brand’s so-called ‘dynamic smart to rise above the crowd. Because content marketing, possibly because steering’ to corporate buyers. of this we’re seeing a lot of brands the space is less contested than it is for Wronski elaborates about the investing in paid content marketing B2C brands, but also because there’s difference between B2C and B2B which enables the promotion of branded a greater need for hard facts and content marketing: “There are different content,” he says. substance than in the consumer space. strategies across industry verticals 10 strategicmarketing August–September 2014